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NAR to Administration: Do No Harm to Housing

WASHINGTON (February 13, 2012) - The following is a statement by National Association of Realtors® President Moe Veissi:

“As the leading advocate for housing and homeownership, NAR is strongly opposed to elements of President Obama’s budget proposal that would limit itemized deductions, including the mortgage interest deduction, for thousands of families.

“NAR firmly believes that the mortgage interest deduction is vital to the stability of the American housing market and economy. We urge the president and Congress to do no harm.

“While progress has been made in bringing stability to the housing market, the recovery has been slow. The nation’s homeowners already pay 80 to 90 percent of U.S. federal income taxes. Raising taxes on them, now or in the future, could critically erode home values at all price levels. This would destroy middle-class wealth accumulation and trillions of dollars in home values nationwide.

“The MID must not be targeted for change. Any modifications to the deductibility of mortgage interest will harm housing and homeowners, and until housing markets have stabilized, there cannot be a robust economic recovery. Realtors® are actively engaged to ensure that America’s 75 million home owners will continue to receive this important benefit.

“NAR also strongly opposes eliminating capital gains treatment for any carried interest of a real estate investment partnership. The loss of capital gains treatment for income from a carried interest could disrupt the conventional business model and places an unfair tax burden on general partners – ultimately this would negatively impact commercial real estate investment.”

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

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Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the News Media section.

REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark which may be used only by real estate professionals who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics. Not all real estate agents are REALTORS®. All REALTORS® are members of NAR.